I am trying to install a new holding tank and lines. Fortunately I filed the tank with fresh water first to check for leaks and boy did I have them. A dock mate suggested I heat the hoses up with a heat gun. I did, it slowed the leaks down a little yet still leaked. Anybody have any suggestions?:banghead

Please give us some details on the tank, hoses and hose clamps you are using.

On a holding tank these are usually 1 - 1/2 " from the toilet to the holding tank, and then 1 -1/2" from the holding tank to the macerator. Since you may be in Lake Michigan you may not have a macerator.

If the hose bard on the holding tank is for 1-1/2" hose and you used 1-1/2" hose then there should be a tight fit. The hose clamps should have sealed them.

If you have 1 -1/2" barbs (check the holding tank instructions) and 1/1/2 " hose and still have leaks then you may not have tightened the hose clamps enough. In that case use a socket wrench rather than a screw driver.

Hello Marty, I have a '86 Connie that was built with 3 raritan s. I bought the bought in Nashville and am taking down to the gulf. The shields 1-1/2" hose slides easily over the barbed 1-1/2" fittings. I heated them with a heat gun first but only was able to reach them with a ratcheting screwdriver with a socket. I will try again tomorrow to get a small ratchet on them and double clamp. I only want to use Teflon tape or silicon as a last resort.

This is a long shot, but measure the diameter of one of the hose barbs. 1-1/2" sanitation hose doesn't usually slide easily over a hose barb. I am wondering whether you have 1-1/4" hose barbs or 1 7/8" hose.

The normal situation in using a heat gun is to loosen the hose so that it will slide on or off the hose bard not to tighten the hose down.

No kidding, when I replaced mine I needed a lot of heat and I'm sure some dielectric grease to get the hose to slip on. You have a mis-match somewhere. Vicks on your upper lip helps. As soon as you pull the hose off, stuff a plastic bag or paper towel down the hose to keep the evil contained. Use plenty of rubber gloves and wash yourself lots after the job is done. Cut the replacement hose before you pull off the old one so you have a replacement immediately handy, use tilex or similar to spray the places you spilled on (you will). Have giant Gladbags ready to stuff the old hoses in. Don't be surprised if nobody will get close to you for a few days!

Do yourself a favor and get Trident 101 hose. It is much easier to work with and impermeable to sewage. Use KY for lube and double clamp all fittings. It is much nicer to work with and if you need to shorten a hose run you can get the hose off the fitting without using dynamite. Trident 101 is black with a green stripe. Use a sawzall to cut it and use side cutters to cut the SS reinforcing wire inside. You will still need to have the right sized hose barbs for any sewage hose to work. I installed the hose five years ago and the admiral is still happy

I did new sanitation hoses along with a new fresh water tank last year.

I used hot water and a heat gun to get the hose over the fittings. Dish washing soap, K-Y, or silicone grease all help. It was a struggle even with lubrication and heat. Double the clamps on every fitting. Use new clamps. This is no place to save money.

Do yourself a favor and get Trident 101 hose. It is much easier to work with and impermeable to sewage. Use KY for lube and double clamp all fittings. It is much nicer to work with and if you need to shorten a hose run you can get the hose off the fitting without using dynamite. Trident 101 is black with a green stripe. Use a sawzall to cut it and use side cutters to cut the SS reinforcing wire inside. You will still need to have the right sized hose barbs for any sewage hose to work. I installed the hose five years ago and the admiral is still happy

Last month we replaced all the hose with Trident 102 (the white version). Easy to work with. Using KY, we didn't need a heat gun and when we were done, no leaks with the VacuFlush system. We bought a 50' roll, on line, for $335 delivered and used 42'.

I am up against this job in the near future too. I plan on trying to swap out some, if not most, with hard PVC hose. I'm not sure my hoses are downhill the whole way... So I will correct that too.

I read a good tip on this board a few months ago that said to wear several rubber gloves when disassembling the hoses with rubber bands around your wrist. Pull off a hose, stop it up with your hands, the pull a glove and rubber band over it to seal in the smell.

Get yourself some inexpensive wooden plugs; the kind that you would hammer into a thru hull in an emergency. They are readily available at Worst Marine (pun intended). The night before installation, heat the hose ends some then hammer in a wooden plug to expand the end of the hose. Let it sit overnight. The next day remove the plug, use a little KY and the hose should slip on fairly easily.